“Are you willing to talk about it? Your secret?”
The other three didn't interrupt. They watched these two women, who were so different in appearance and temperament.
One was noble and beautiful; the other was wild and aloof.
One was a rose raised on milk and jewels; the other was a bramble that had carved a bloody path through the muck and mire.
But as their eyes met, there was a startling rapport between them, making it seem for a moment that they were the same.
Equally powerful and resolute.
“I can't.”
Wen Xiang Yuan shook her head, her gaze fixed on Nan Yue. “Not right now.”
Nan Yue frowned slightly. She could feel that Wen Xiang Yuan had more to say.
Wen Xiang Yuan repeated, “We need to rest and recover during this time. The next mission will require it.”
Nan Yue understood. Wen Xiang Yuan likely had something she couldn't say—at least, she couldn't reveal everything in the real world.
Her implication was that she would tell them everything inside the mission world.
Was it possible that the pollution world Wen Xiang Yuan came from hadn't completely dissipated or been fully purified?
Wen Xiang Yuan was clearly wary of something, and that thing's influence might be weaker within a mission world.
“Alright.”
Wen Xiang Yuan smiled and threw herself toward Nan Yue's side. The queenly elegance vanished, and she became that clingy, spoiled girl again.
“Boss, you have to believe me.”
“No matter what happens, you must believe me.”
Wen Xiang Yuan's voice was soft and small, but it didn't sound like a plea; it sounded like a statement.
She was simply stating a fact: Nan Yue and the others would definitely believe her.
She had once harbored concerns, felt fear, and even thought of running away.
But not anymore. She would face the unknown together with them.
This brief conversation didn't actually answer their questions, but it miraculously smoothed over the curiosity and turbulence in their hearts.
They went back to sleep.
Jiang Siyan found it interesting. Though he was curious about the truth Wen Xiang Yuan mentioned and wasn't entirely mollified by her reasoning, he was an exceptionally patient man.
Truthfully, regarding the so-called secret, he was more concerned with Nan Yue getting some rest.
While physical wounds could be healed after a mission, psychological trauma didn't just vanish.
Nan Yue had lost her eyes at the very end. Jiang Siyan had wanted her to rest the moment they stepped out of the mission.
He wasn't worried about her psychological value; she didn't need his abilities to help her recover.
But every human needed rest, let alone someone who carried the burden of an entire team on top of being injured.
The weight on her shoulders was too heavy.
Jiang Siyan wanted her to rest.
Nan Yue did go to rest. She slept for two days, only getting up once to use the bathroom and drink some porridge Jiang Siyan had left for her at the perfect temperature.
By the time Nan Yue emerged from the bedroom, stretching and refreshed, the others had already finished their rest and were playing in the pool.
Zhu Xi Ning had somehow found a unicorn inflatable. Wearing sunglasses and a bikini, she lay on it like a modern starlet from a movie.
Wen Xiang Yuan sat by the edge of the pool, splashing water and laughing.
Gu Xiang Kai was in the pool, patiently enduring a face full of water from Wen Xiang Yuan.
“Brother Gu, let me see your V-line!”
Wen Xiang Yuan's voice carried over. Even from a distance, Nan Yue could see Gu Xiang Kai's face turn bright red.
“Hungry?”
Nan Yue turned around. Jiang Siyan was standing behind her in swim trunks, clearly having just come out of the pool. He held several bottles of drinks, his hair slicked back from his forehead, still dripping.
Jiang Siyan wasn't wearing his glasses. Without them, his narrow eyes usually looked a bit sharp.
But right now, his gaze wasn't piercing at all; instead, it was very gentle.
For some reason, Nan Yue's heart skipped a beat. She instinctively looked away, her eyes landing on Jiang Siyan's abs, which were still beaded with water.
Nan Yue: ……
She turned toward the pool, feeling strange. Why did she suddenly feel so self-conscious? Her verbal response, however, was smooth.
“A little. What are you guys eating?”
Seeing the slight flush on the tips of Nan Yue's ears, Jiang Siyan's mood inexplicably brightened.
“They've probably filled up on ice cream. Since you just woke up, you should eat something substantial. I'll make you a bowl of noodles. Tonight, shall we go for a roasted lamb feast, a specialty of Eagle City State?”
The bit of self-consciousness Nan Yue felt vanished at the mention of roasted lamb. She swallowed hard. “I want hot and sour noodles.”
Jiang Siyan chuckled. “Alright.”
Nan Yue ate the noodles Jiang Siyan made with great satisfaction. She hadn't known Dr. Jiang had a cooking function.
Jiang Siyan explained that he could make simple dishes like this and that his skills were decent.
“Most importantly, I'm faster than the hotel.”
So, Nan Yue swallowed her refusal and watched eagerly as Jiang Siyan worked with fluid precision.
When he poured the hot oil over the seasonings, Nan Yue's mouth practically watered.
Jiang Siyan sat opposite her, watching her eat. “Are you going to see Fu Xi Ming?”
Nan Yue hesitated for a moment before shaking her head. “No. I'll wait until the next mission comes out.”
While she had some clues now, most things were still unclear. To avoid misunderstandings caused by suspicion, it was better to figure things out first.
Jiang Siyan nodded and poured her a glass of water. “My thought is to rest well before entering another mission.”
He glanced at the three “elementary schoolers” having a water fight nearby.
“As long as Wen Xiang Yuan is on our side, we don't need to worry too much for now.”
Nan Yue felt the same way. Safety had to come first.
The fact that Wen Xiang Yuan was a native of a pollution world was now set in stone. It seemed many of the things they had worried about could be answered by her after this purification.
To some extent, they had managed to unburden Wen Xiang Yuan of some of her psychological weight.
In the end, the five of them played in the pool all day. As the sun began to set, they leaned against the edge of the infinity pool and watched a magnificent desert sunset.
Nan Yue was flanked by Wen Xiang Yuan and Zhu Xi Ning. The three were debating whether the setting sun looked more like a fried egg or a poached egg with a runny yolk.
Gu Xiang Kai lowered his voice and asked Jiang Siyan, “Old Jiang, how is Wen Xiang Yuan's psychological value?”
Jiang Siyan replied just as softly, “Normal.”
To prevent any accidents, Jiang Siyan had checked the moment Wen Xiang Yuan appeared. She was perfectly normal.
In fact, she was better than before.
One could say she was more resolute now; a typical situation likely wouldn't shake her psychological value at all.
“Are you worried?”
Jiang Siyan looked at Gu Xiang Kai. “Worried about what?”
Gu Xiang Kai watched the sunset. “Worried we won't make it to the end.”
They were strong, that much was undeniable. But Gu Xiang Kai wasn't so arrogant as to think Shen Nian's team hadn't been strong back then.
Shen Nian possessed power bordering on the divine. Unlike Nan Yue, she didn't even face the danger of backlash every time she devoured or used the power of pollution.
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